"Big Hero 6" has been a critical and commercial hit for Walt Disney Animation Studios, scoring an Oscar nomination and taking in more than $500 million at the box office.
But the more important number may be the 39,000 hours Disney Animation spent...

The story of how Don Hall and Chris Williams, codirectors of the Oscar-nominated animated hit "Big Hero 6," first came to work at Disney almost sounds like something out of a Disney movie.
Growing up far removed from Hollywood — Hall in the...

The story of how Don Hall and Chris Williams, codirectors of the Oscar-nominated animated hit "Big Hero 6," first came to work at Disney almost sounds like something out of a Disney movie.
Growing up far removed from Hollywood — Hall in the...

Whether he was performing in orchestra pits or on a punk rock track, accordionist Herman Troppe never missed a beat.
The Joliet native won the Chicago Tribune International Accordion Competition as a teenager and later played with symphony orchestras in Chicago, Boston, Minneapolis and St. Louis, as well as pit orchestras for major musical theater productions such as the Chicago premier of "Fiddler on the Roof."
He also lent his virtuosity — while in his 70s — to "The Threshold Closing" by...

DreamWorks Animation SKG, the upstart studio that once rivaled Walt Disney Studios in mining box-office gold from animated features, is embarking on a fresh round of layoffs following a string of disappointing releases.
DreamWorks is looking to shave as many as 400 jobs, or about 20% of its California workforce, under plans still being finalized, according to people familiar with the matter who were unauthorized to discuss them. The layoffs would be the second major downsizing in two years at the...

In the 1941 Walt Disney cartoon "The Art of Skiing," Goofy slips and slides out of the shed-roofed Sugar Bowl Ski Resort lodge, where he's bunking, and heads to the slopes for several spectacular spills. In the background, there's occasional melodic yodeling performed by resort founder Hannes Schroll, an Austrian ski racer and instructor who also spent time at Yosemite National Park.
The yodeling has declined markedly since the ski area opened 75 years ago, but the still privately owned resort and lodge...

Walt Disney, the mind behind Mickey Mouse, Disneyland and Walt Disney World, was born 113 years ago today.
The business magnate, cartoonist and filmmaker was the co-founder of The Walt Disney Company, along with his older brother, Roy Disney.
Walt's contributions to the fields of animation, film and theme parks live on today through the company he founded with Roy.
The Partners Statue of Walt holding hands with Mickey Mouse, unveiled at Magic Kingdom Park in 1995, is an iconic symbol of his...

Whether driven by hubris or marketing intended to induce shock and awe, many of the nation's most expensive homes featured in Hot Property have had price tags that defy explanation. The jaw-dropping asking prices are often just that; most sell for far less than they were listed. But even the purchase price will take your breath away. Here are the top 10, ranked by the highest price listed or sold.
1—Palazzo di Amore: $195-million asking price
The 25-acre estate in the Beverly Crest area was...

Does digital data offer indicators that can be used to monitor marketing effectiveness and predict box office success even before awareness turns into intent? Moviepilot - which studies social data and box office trends - analyzes this weekend's new movies across Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Google (the methodology behind the numbers is laid out in the appendix below) over the seven days leading up to their release, when marketing campaigns should be at their peak.
"Big Hero 6," Disney
Moviepilot...